@mangeurdenuage @sun windows has never been gratisware - you've always had to pay.

If you could find a windows 7 key etc that had been previously paid for, you could "activate" to later versions of windows with that key, but now microsoft has gone and made such keys no longer work; http://snoo.habeehrhadazsw3izbrbilqajalfyqqln54mrja3iwpqxgcuxnus7eid.onion/r/windows/comments/18vtdbr/can_i_still_activate_windows_11_with_my_win_7_key/

microsoft is even trying to turn the OS itself into a subscription.

Most computer hardware that you buy has a percent that goes to microsoft, so even if you don't use windows, you are paying for it unless you do not buy new hardware.